Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

Articles from Vol. 30, No. 6, August

The "1001 Inventions from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization" exhibit on view at the California Science Center through Dec. 31 is an educator's dream of hands-on, interactive learning. As we strolled among displays at the May 27 West Coast premiere...

The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) hosted a June 3 online conference entitled "The June 5th Protests: The Arab Spring Continues in Palestine." The discussion focused on the upcoming border rallies planned in Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian...

Waves of protests throughout the Middle East have captured the world's attention, prompting questions about the current situation, what the future holds for the region, and what the international community can do to support the efforts of those involved...

The Saturday evening Gala Awards Dinner opened with a recording of the widely celebrated musical piece by composer Malek Jandali entitled "Watani Ana." ADC members thanked Sara Najjar-Wilson for her voluntary service as ADC president in 2010 and 2011,...

The Israeli Supreme Court struck a rare blow for the rights of migrant workers when it ruled against the government's procedure for dealing with pregnant migrant workers. Women migrant workers who were lawfully present and gave birth had to choose between...

The afternoon portion of American Iranian Council's (AIC) June 7 conference was geared toward a discussion of the U.S. role in the future of the Middle East and North Africa region.John Esposito, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding...

Palestinian Ambassador Afif Safieh delivered a June 9 talk on "Israel and Palestine: Which Way Forward" to a diverse audience at the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC. The distinguished diplomat, who has served as Palestinian general delegate to...

Col. Muammar Qaddafi is a brutal dictator whose own people have turned against him, but he nevertheless asked a valid question in early June as NATO's day and night bombing raids were obliterating his headquarters in Tripoli. "Why this constant bombing?"...

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé delivered a talk entitled "The Arab Spring: Hopes and Challenges" to a capacity-filled room at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC on June 6.Juppé, who has served in various capacities in the French government...

The Council for the National Interest (CNI) Foundation held a May 23 press briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on the topic "Questioning Military Aid to Israel." CNI board member Peter Viering introduced the speakers, who discussed...

In most countries, left-wing and liberal legislators are reliable friends of the United Nations and supporters of the U.N. Charter. Not, however, in the U.S., where the issue of Israel distorts the political spectrum like a huge blue hole pulling politicians...

Thousands of Palestinians in the Chicago area commemorated 63 years of al Nakba (catastrophe) in Bridgeview on May 22 by celebrating their heritage with an outdoor festival hosted by the Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). The daylong...

In May and June many members of Congress seemed more concerned about protecting their prerogatives than with what was happening in Libya. Much of the debate involved the applicability of the War Powers Act (WPA) to U.S. involvement there. As reported...

At the Center for Strategic and International Studies Global Security Forum on June 9, several terrorism and intelligence experts discussed "Deradicalization: Oasis or Mirage?" Panelists focused on the potential for Islamic radicalization in the U.S....

To the dismay of the organized American Jewish community, and despite its increasingly strident efforts to silence dissent, Jewish criticism of Israel's policies continues to grow.Even the slightest hint of concern about the treatment of Palestinians...

Mohamed Younis, a senior analyst for the newly established Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, presented an analysis and set of recommendations on the current state of post-revolution Egypt. The June 7 presentation was held at Washington, DC's Gallup Center, where...

At a June 11 ADC panel on "Emerging New Realities in the Arab World," Samer Shehata, assistant professor of Arab politics at Georgetown University, expressed his opinion that the 2011 revolts undoubtedly mark a distinct moment in history that will be...

On June 3 the newly minted headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC still rang with the sounds of last-minute construction. Despite this, along with some dust, the striking new building was the perfect...

Iranian author and scholar Farzaneh Milani spoke at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC on June 1 in conjunction with the publication of her new book, Words, Not Swords. Dr. Milani discussed the issue of women's rights, focusing on Iranian women...

A coalition of more than 100 organizations endorsed and sent speakers as well as attendees to the "Move Over AIPAC: Building a New U.S. Middle East Policy" conference in Washington, DC from May 21-24. Timed to coincide with the annual policy meeting...

American skepticism and increased scrutiny of the intentions of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have been hot topics of discussion since the killing of Osama bin Laden in early May. So many people expressed interest in attending a June 13...

Representatives of a growing coalition of mostly faith-based Iowa peace and social justice groups met in Ankeny at Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Church on June 4 to advance their plans for an Oct. 14-15 conference on "Changing U.S. Policy in Palestine-Israel:...

Maziar Bahari, co-author with Aimee Molly of Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival, discussed his book at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) in Washington, DC on June 13.One reason Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian...

Reports vary: the attack may have been executed with a missile fired from the Red Sea, or by aircraft-a plane and/or helicopters-flying in from the Red Sea. Israel's Foreign Ministry has refused comment, but it is clear that Israel extra-judicially murdered...

Three years ago Major Ty Nguyen-Reed, one of a handful of Vietnamese-American female officers serving in the Army, and her sister Teresa Nguyen launched Janan Collection, a non-profit organization to promote and preserve Iraqi artistic tradition and...

Who Does Congress Represent?Thank you for your June 8 e-mail alert regarding the USS Liberty commemorations.I would like to add that a disgraceful U.S. Congress passed a resolution back in 2010 calling for "the immediate and unconditional release of...

The crisis in Libya has focused attention on the complex issue of "Responsibility to Protect (R2P)," which was addressed by panelists at a June 16 event at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, co-hosted by the United States Institute of Peace...

Mark Braverman, executive director of the Holy Land Peace Project, delivered the keynote speech at the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) Iowa Chapter's annual banquet and awards night on June 5 at the Scottish Rite Consistory in Des Moines.Born...

While it has not been widely published, it assuredly has been known for more than 40 years that the 45-acre, well-fortified place that has been mistakenly called the "Temple Mount" was really the Roman fortress-the Antonia-that Herod built. The Dome...

The National American Arab Journalists Association (NAAJA), founded in 1999, held its sixth annual national conference in Dearborn, MI, April 29 to May 1, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly spoke forcefully about the racism of Rev....

Ezzatollah Sahabi, 81, head of Iran's reformist Council of Nationalist-Religious Coalition, died May 1 after suffering a stroke the previous day. A former member of the Iranian parliament, he spent many years in and out of prison, both before and after...

Omar Al Mashadani, a former spokesman for the Iraqi parliament, political activist, and a Woodrow Wilson Public Policy scholar, spoke June 8 at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. Among the topics he discussed was Iraq's current political structure,...

Most Dangerous BorderTo The Economist, June 2, 2011Your bold analysis of "The world's most dangerous border" between India and Pakistan (May 21) missed one important factor: population. Pakistan is one-fifth larger in area than Texas, but by 2050 it...

During Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to the White House last year, President Barack Obama presented the leader with a gift: a painting by Arab-American artist Helen Zughaib.The piece, "Midnight Prayers," notable for its symbolism and rich...

When the history of the Arab Spring comes to be written, the Palestinians' current uprising against the Israeli occupation will surely take its place alongside the heroic efforts by Egyptians and Tunisians to oust their own oppressive rulers. Forty years...

Why Is Israel Such a Scaredy-Cat?It's not because of Hamas, Hezbollah, secret plans to build Iranian nukes, or any of the usual "terrorism threats" that Tel Aviv trots out to inspire American Israel-firsters to open their wallets or pass embarrassing...

Five women discussed the role of women in present-day Egypt at a June 15 event at Washington, DC's Woodrow Wilson Center. The speakers focused on current feminist endeavors, such as forming women's organizations to fight against the inequality they face...

After 23 years of planning, fund-raising and building, the SALAM Masjid and Center for Higher Islamic Learning in Sacramento celebrated completion of its final phase of construction with a facility tour and reception on April 29.The 22,000-square-foot...

Saudi Arabia has apparently dropped the gauntlet in its loud tiff with the Obama administration's "misguided policies" toward the Middle East and particularly its stance on the Palestinian debacle, now in its 64th year, where Barack Obama recently reiterated...

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) hosted a panel on "Social Networking in a Changing Media." Moderated by new media consultant William Youmans, the discussion featured Jillian C. York, director of International Freedom of Expression...

"Piety, Poetry, and Politics: Sufi Muslims in South Asia," a three-day conference from April 28-30, was sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Smithsonian Institution's Freer and Sackler Galleries....

The Global Security Forum of the Center Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC held a panel discussion on June 8 that focused on the strategic role of the Mediterranean. Though often studied in the context of history and culture,...

The U.S. and Pakistani governments seem to be heading for a divorce full of recriminations. So great are the divergent objectives and lack of trust between them that Pakistan seems to be contemplating moving out of America's orbit altogether and into...

The Middle East Institute's (MEI) third annual Omani Cultural Day took place June 11 at the Washington, DC-based institute's Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center (SQCC). The event featured a variety of experiences, from food to music to traditional Omani arts...

The revolutions and uprising that have been sweeping across the Mideast are widely believed to have begun in Tunisia. In fact, the first seeds of revolution were planted in 2002 in Turkey, as its Justice and Development Party began the long, arduous...

The response of Israel and the U.S. to the September 2009 release of the Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, aka the Goldstone Report, was a concerted effort to make it disappear. They had almost succeeded when the...

Fidgeting, leaning into shade as the sun crests toward noon, several hundred men and women wait...and wait. On a warm June day, these weary Palestinians stand in line at the Bank of Palestine's ATM machine on Gaza City's Omar Al-Mukhtar Street-a sight...

Admiral William J. Fallon, former commander of U.S. Central Command, delivered a keynote address titled "The Changing Middle East and Implications for U.S.-Iran Relations" at the American Iranian Council's (AIC) June 7 conference at the Omni Shoreham...